Meet the team

Oliver has extensive experience as a senior leader; both as DSL and a Senior Mental Health Lead. He has a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership; a qualification in which he specialised in the management of Safeguarding with a specific focus on the development of effective Mental Health Strategies within education settings, and regularly speaks at sector conferences on this topic, having now worked with, and supported, over 800 schools and colleges, across all sectors, to improve their mental health and safeguarding provision. Student and staff wellbeing have always been at the heart of Oliver’s approach to education. He is known for his dynamic, authentic and non-judgemental approach to all aspects of his delivery. He is both an Advanced Safeguarding Trainer and Senior Mental Health Lead Trainer, (training DSLs & DSMHLs for a number of different Local Authorities, MATs and individual settings across all sectors), and regularly writes and delivers highly-acclaimed, bespoke training programmes to support settings in these areas. In addition, he is a qualified Mindfulness teacher for both children and adults (MiSP and CMRP), a Mental Health First Aid Instructor (MHFA England), an Accredited Safer Recruitment Trainer (LFF), a specialist Online-Safety trainer (CEOP), a Relax Kids Coach, CSE Trainer and qualified Safeguarding Supervisor.

Jen has a background in Primary Education having worked in numerous Pastoral, SEN and Leadership roles.  She also has considerable experience as a youth mentor, not only within schools, but also as a youth worker and in the voluntary sector. As a Lead Educational Consultant Jen has developed a new Enrichment and Wellbeing Service for education settings, and as an accredited expert Mental Health First Aid instructor, Jen has delivered training to professionals in a large range of educational, healthcare and voluntary settings. She has additionally been involved in setting up an organisation to support families, and to research the impact on children and young people of having a sibling with long term illness, or additional needs.

Throughout these experiences she has worked with children and young people of all ages and in a variety of roles and environments, pursuing her passion for improving outcomes for children and young people. Jen continues to do this not only through developing and delivering training and support as a consultant and trainer for Brightcore Consultancy, but also by continuing to teach part time alongside this role.

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Alison has been involved in training and developing teams and individuals, across a wide range of subjects, for the majority of her career, and delivers workshops which are renowned for being engaging, inclusive and interactive.

After leaving school she trained to become a British Horse Society Riding Instructor and worked full-time within the equestrian industry for several years until deciding that it was time for a change of career direction. She then moved into a financial role, initially within the NHS, where she qualified as a Credit Manager through the Chartered Institute of Credit Management.  She spent several years working in this profession within various sectors including legal and utilities.

After completing an Adult Education and Training certificate, Alison worked as an Enterprise Trainer and Coach within an ERDF project focusing on Business Start Up and Business Growth.  This involved designing and delivering soft skills and skills for business workshops in addition to providing 1:1 coaching.  She then took on the role of Programme Director.

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After an early career in retail banking, Suzanne has spent over 20 years in the post-16 education sector, working in partnership with colleges and for the independent sector in smaller and larger corporate organisations. Throughout this time, her passion has always been to deliver high quality learning experiences, which serve as a springboard into future work and careers.

In more recent years, Suzanne observed that a lack of mental health and wellbeing support was a barrier to progress for more and more young people, and also those working directly with them.  She retrained as a Mental Health First Aid Instructor, to help education providers to overcome this challenge and recently launched a Workplace Wellbeing Leaders programme, supporting smaller organisations to build wellbeing capacity and capability for their workforce.

In early 2021, Suzanne became an Emotional Culture Deck Masterclass graduate, supporting organisations in developing their unique emotional culture, within their wider organisation culture, reflective of mission, vision and values.

Graeme has been working in sales, marketing and finance for nearly 50 years now and brings a wealth of experience to the Brightcore team.

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A statistician by education, he has led teams in multiple organisations before setting up Brightcore Ltd. in 1996 specialising in brand and product development and project management.

Tracey always wanted to be a teacher, so after leaving Exeter University with a BA(Ed) Hons, it was a seamless transition into fulfilling her ambition. She has over 24 years of teaching experience in a wide range of schools, covering the whole age range from 2-18yrs in both day and boarding settings. She is an experienced teacher of GCSE, A level, and has considerable experience in a full range of school roles from Head of Year (9-11) and assistant examinations officer, to Senior Leader and Deputy Head. Tracey is passionate about safeguarding and ensuring that schools are a safe haven for children of all ages, and are a place where young people can foster the skills that will help them navigate a mentally and physically healthy adult life. She has vast experience in leading both staff and pupil wellbeing provision (including designing bespoke wellbeing curricula) as both a Designated Safeguarding Lead and Senior Mental Health Lead. Culture, community and pupil focus has always been at the heart of her decision making. Aside from supporting schools and colleges to improve their provision in her role as a safeguarding consultant, Tracey also regularly trains, supports and supervises DSLs nationally and is an Accredited Safer Recruitment Trainer (LFF).

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At an early stage, Gill identified that her occupational aspirations were a career in education. After achieving a BA (Hons) in English and Psychology, she completed her PCGE at Newman College, Birmingham University. Gill has a 30-year Primary education background and has a wealth of experience working in a number of inner-city schools, carrying out roles ranging from Senco and Safeguarding lead to Senior Leader and Headship. Through performing her role as DSL and Mental Health lead, she has developed a thorough understanding of policies and procedures as well as the delivery of safeguarding in schools at both an operational and strategic level working with partners at all levels. Gill has also led PSHE and RSE and has a focused interest in children’s emotional health and well-being, understanding how trauma and adverse childhood experiences can negatively impact on a child’s development. As a leader, pupil focus, and their continued wellbeing is at the very heart of her decision-making and she remains passionate about ensuring healthy, supportive school environments strive towards positive outcomes for all young people.

Michael has worked in Secondary Education in England for 16 years, devising and delivering a wide range of citizenship and well-being programmes for students in Years 7-13. Both school and community-based programmes and initiatives that Michael has steered have been recognised by awards including a Sinnott Fellowship and a Suzy Lamplugh Young Person’s Safety Award. In recent years he has developed bespoke CPD for school staff in unpicking social influences on the values and beliefs of boys and young men and how some of those influences can manifest in a range of problematic behaviours.

Michael has presented on this work at the National Education Union’s ‘Challenging Sexism in Schools’ conferences, the National Men in Early Years Conference and the Young Trades Union Conference (YTUC). He recorded a TEDx Youth Talk in October 2018 and in December 2018 was an expert contributor to the Women & Equalities Select Committee in Parliament on the topic of Sexual Harassment. He regularly appears on both local and national news discussing these issues. Michael is also a Mental Health First Aid Instructor with a particular interest in suicide prevention.

Having always had a keen interest in marketing, Anisha studied Business and Marketing Management at the University of Wolverhampton, graduating with a First Class Honours Degree. For the past five years, Anisha has worked in the field of marketing, her experience includes web design, email marketing, event management, and social media marketing. Anisha is a Youth & Adult Mental Health First Aider and enjoys researching elements in this field.

Meet Ted, who holds the esteemed position of Head of Wellbeing in our workplace, bringing joy and comfort to all employees.